Store service apparatus



Oct. 27, 1931. HlTCHMAN 1,829,140

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS Filed Dec. 7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0d. 27,1931. HUG-MAN 1,829,146

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS Fil DeC- 7. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct.27, 1931 PATENT @FFifiE ALBERT HITCHMAN, OF BUTLER, OHIO STORE SERVICEAPPARATUS Application filed December 7, 1928. Serial No. 324,385.

This invention relates to store service apparatus and has for itsprimary object to provide a construction which may be readily controlledby a single operator at a predetermined station in the store so as todeliver at a designated point in the store one or more of a plurality ofvarious articles which have been previously stored on shelves which forma part of the apparatus.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of aselective delivery mechanism which may be readily adjusted to adapt itfor use with articles of varying sizes.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a deliverymechanism of the gravity type in which the selection of the goods to bedelivered is manually operated, thereby eliminating the use of motivepower either in the delivery of the goods or in their selection.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing de scription when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings; in which I Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatusshowing more or less diagrammatically the arrangement of the conveyors,shelves, etc. 7 p

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail elevational view of several of thestorage shelves and the associated chutes. v

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view throughseveral of the storageshelves, taken on line 83 of Figure 2.

' Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through one of the shelvestaken on line 4-4 of Figure 3; and v Figure 5 is a transverse sectionalview taken on line 55 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings in more detail the numeral 1 indicates aconventional type of frame structure by means of which the main gravitychute 2 is supported in proper relation to the dispensing mechanism tobe described. r g

In the present embodiment of theinvention the shelves are arranged in aplurality of tiers and in stepped relation, as indicated moreparticularly in Figs. 1 and 2; four tiers being shown in the presentinstance. While the preferred arrangement of the shelves and tiers is asshown, it is to be understood that this particular arrangement is notessential to the proper functioning of the present invention and thatthe shelves may therefore be arranged in different types of stores asdesired.

Leading into the main chute 2 and inclined with respect thereto, areauxiliary conveyors 3 which are common to each of the tiers of steppedshelves 4. These shelves are disclosed in greater detail in Fig. 5 andcomprise bottom members 5 spaced apart in stepped relation by verticalstandards 6 and are each provided with main side walls 7. Inwardlydisposed from the main side walls 7 are inner side walls 8 which haveattached to their lower ends longitudinally extending bars 9. These barsare perforated as indicated by numeral 10 so as to receive pins 11 bymeans of which the side walls 8 are guided in their sliding relationwith respect to the main side walls 7 This construction provides a meansfor accommodating the various shelves to the size of packages storedthereon, and in order that the walls 8 may be maintained in contact withthe series of packages 12 which are stored on the shelf, a plurality ofcoil springs 13 are attached to the respective bars 9 and have theirinner ends attached to a central bar 14 which serves as a guide for theejecting mechanism to be now described.

The bottom wall 5 of each shelf is provided with a longitudinallyextending slot 15 through which extends an arm 16 for operating aratchet bar 17. This bar 17 is slidably mounted in the base plate 14 ofthe shelves which is grooved to receive the bar, and the slot 16' in theplate 14 serves as a limit for the longitudinal movement of the bar 17and its operating arm 16. This bar is normally maintained in itsrearward position as indicated in Fig. 4 by means of a coil spring 18which has one end secured to arm 16 and its other end anchored to a pin19 fixed to the bottom plate 5 of the shelf. Slidably mounted in agroove 20 of the base plate 14 is an ejector member 21 which has itsrearward end bent down in the form of a pawl. 22 adapted to cooperatewith the teetl on the ejector bar 1'17. 'As the bar 17 is drawn forwardtherefore, the teeth on the bar by 7 reason of their engagement with thepawl 22 'will force the packages on the particular the ejector- 21 maybe varied so as to project from the shelf a single package irrespectiveof its length, it is desirable that some means be provided so that theextent of movement of the bar may be varied in accordance with thedimensions of the package stored on the shelf. To this end the centralbar 14 is provided with a series of openings 23 at its forward end inany one of which may be positioned a pin 24, which pin is in alignmentwith the forward end of the bar 17. If a narrow package is stored on theshelf, therefore, the pin 24 will be moved rearwardly the properdistance and inserted in the particular groove which will limit themovement of the bar 17 so that only a single one of the packages will beprojected from the shelf onto the conveyor 3.I It is necessary, ofcourse, that some means also be provided so a'sto prevent the projectionof the ejector 21 off of the shelf in the event that the entire supplyof articles should be dispensed, and for this purpose I provide a stoppin 25 on the central bar with which the ejector 21 is adapted to engageafter all the articles have been delivered from the particular shelf.

The means for operating the several ejectors 21, aswell as fordetermining the particular 'eje'ctors to be operated, comprise aplurality. of operating rods 26 which have their inner ends attached toa plurality of flexible cords or wires 27. These'cords 27 are run overtheir respective pulleys 28 'mount: ed in casing 29. and then extendupwardly within the casing over pulleys 30. From the pulleys 30 thecords extend over guidepulleys 81 mounted on theunder side of the coinmon conveyors 3 in staggered relationship as indicated ln Fig. 3, andhave their ends anchored to the arms 16 of the respective shelves asvindicated by numeral 32.-- Obviously,

therefore, as any one of the operating arms 26 is pulled forwardly thepower applied thereto will be transmitted through the particular cord 27tothe ejector to be operated. When the pull on the rod 26 is releasedthe spring 18 will return the parts to normal position; the teeth on theratchet bar 17 sliding under the pawl 22 and setting the parts inposition for a new operation-when it is desired to again eject anarticlefrom the particular shelf. v v 1 In the operation of the devicethe battery of'operating rods 26 willbe placed at a convenient positionso that the salesman may observe the condition of the respectiveshelves. When any particular article-is called for the salesman willpull the proper rod 26 will slide by gravity down this conveyor to themain conveyor 2 from whence it will be delivered to a point adjacent theposition of the operator or salesman. This projection of the articlesmay be continued from time to time so long as any ofthe-articles remainon'the respective shelves, after which time the ejector 21 will engagethe stop pin 25 and thus indicate to the operator that the supply forthat shelf needs replenishing.

If it is decided to place on any particular shelf articles of difierentdimensions from those previously supplied to the shelfthe device willoperate with equalfacility, it only being necessar tovary the extentioftravel of the ejector bar to accord with the lengthwise dimension of thearticle, and-this may be readily done by adjusting the pin 2% to theproperopening 28 in the plate '14.. Furthermore, by reason of theslidable walls 8 the shelves readily accommodatethemselves to differentsizes of packages and maintain the packages inproper relationship withthe ejector 21 so as to insure the ejection of an article at eachoperation (of the ejector mechanism.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings it will be apparent that I have provided a simple andinexpensive construction by means of which a variety of articles may bestoredin compact relationship and yet maybe selectively ejected fromtime to time as desired by an operator situated at a single point in thestore that thedevice is inexpensive in" operation by reason of the factthat Y motive power-is required other than the manual labor 'oftheoperator inpulling the operating rods 26, since the conveyors 2 and 3are of the gravity type and since the ejectionof the articles onto theseconveyors is accomplished by the power transmitted through the rods 26."V

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described what-I nowbelieve to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is to'beunderstood that various changes in detail of construction may bemadewithe out departing from the spirit of the invention, and I intendto include all such modifications within the scope of the appendedclaims. f a a What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

. .1. In a device of the class described, a stor- H wall, a ratchet barslidably mounted on said shelf, an ejector operatively associated withsaid ratchet bar, an arm connected to said bar and extending through theslot in said shelf, a spring attached to said arm and normally retainingit in retracted position, and means for drawing said arm and ratchet barforward.

3. In a device of the class described, a storage shelf, an inclinedchute extending across the front of said shelf and below the bottom wallthereof, a ratchet bar slidably mounted on said shelf, an ejectoroperatively associated With said ratchet bar, a spring normally holdingsaid bar in retracted position, flexible means connected to said bar fordrawing the same forward, and a guide pulley for said flexible meansconnected to the under side of said chute.

ALBERT HITCHMAN.

